- Sonos wants to become "The sound platform for the connected home"

Sonos, the wireless multi-room speaker system, has confirmed that it will soon allow users to have full control of their system via the desktop and mobile Spotify app. It also announced it would be adding voice support via Amazon's Alexa powered products, such as Amazon Echo or Dash.

The two announcements made ahead of IFA in Berlin, will allow Spotify users to completely bypass the dedicated Sonos app, along with bark music requests via the Amazon Echo device from anywhere around the home.

On the Spotify front, the new Spotify/Sonos app will deliver a similar experience already available to Spotify Connect users. Users will be able to play music directly from the Spotify app to any specific Sonos speaker, as well as select multiple speakers, allowing them to create grouped speaker zones.

The two companies say they've worked closely together to ensure the experience is "seamless".

The collaboration also means users will be able to control their Sonos system away from the home. That could be perfect for users who have Wi-Fi "blind spots" in the home, or as Sonos suggests, allow users to have the music playing before they walk into their home.

The company will release a beta of the new feature in October, with a roll out thereafter. Sonos has said that it is also hoping to be able to offer a similar experience through other music services in the future, including Pandora.

Amazon

In terms of Amazon Echo, Sonos says that all users will be able to control their music by using an Amazon Echo-enabled device from early 2017.

Available as a software update to existing and new Sonos users, music lovers will be able to ask what's playing, pause a track and select which Sonos speakers to play to via the Amazon Alexa service, without having to pick up a device like an iPad or smartphone.

Amazon and Sonos say that these new voice capabilities will be delivered in a software update that will work with new and previously purchased Sonos and Alexa-enabled devices such as Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Amazon Tap and Amazon Fire TV. The companies will begin rolling out the experience through an invite-only beta test later this year, with general availability in 2017.

There was no news however on whether Sonos would be working with Apple and its HomeKit system.